In my last post, I mentioned the reminiscences of my friend that had attended the lectures of a Black, FBI informant who spoke at an LDS ward in the 60’s.
Decades ago when she listened to the lecturer, she wrote down many of the key points for posterity. I shared portions of her notes in my last post. Sadly, she neglected to write down the name of the FBI informant.
Although I had no reason to question the accuracy of the testimony of my aged friend, I must admit that it was a little perplexing to not even be able to provide the name of the FBI informant or any documentation that the person actually existed.
I shared her testimony based on my belief in her personal integrity..
Thankfully I got an email following that post from a subscriber who spoke to a relative whose mother “.. took her to [the] Julia Brown (The black infiltrating FBI informant) meeting in Boise in 1963 at Capital High School…she knew her name very well and remembered what was taught.”
Hot damn!
Now I have a name and a second witness about what was being said as this woman traveled around to communities in Utah and Idaho talking about the Communist agenda and the infiltration taking place in virtually all organizations including the US Government and the Mormon Church.
I did a little Google-ka-noodling and found a video of Julia Brown
It turns out that there is a wealth of information about Julia Brown and her story on the Internet.
I even found a reference to her in a footnote of one of Ezra Taft Benson’s talks which has been published in a book:
The article written by Ezra Taft Benson was titled, “Civil Rights: Tool of communist Deception”
The footnote provided by Benson is as follows:
3. Manning Johnson, now deceased, spelled out this blueprint in his book, Color, Communism and Common Sense (Western Islands, Belmont, Mass.). Leonard Patterson, Mrs. Julia Brown and Mrs. Lolabelle Holmes are currently active on lecture tours carrying this unhappy truth about the Civil Rights movement to as many of the American people as they can reach. (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 354).
It would appear as if Ezra Taft Benson considered Julia Brown to be a credible voice of warning.
President Benson Feared for His Life
I recently got an email from a subscriber asking me the following question:
“Do you ever wonder why Benson was not more vocal about these matters [secret combinations infiltrating the church] when he became President?”
This was my reply-
Did you watch the youtube that I added to the last post?
The Course Correction the Never Took Place
When Mrs Watcher and I met with Elder Andersen some three decades ago, we were a bit taken back by his passion and concern about the state of the nation and the church.
His observations about licensing were only a small part of what concerned him. He spent over an hour quoting statements from David O. MacKay and Ezra Taft Benson about the threat of communism, about the evils of the secular education that Latter day Saints were being brainwashed with and about the many false doctrines that were being taught in the church.
The following declaration by Ezra Taft Benson is one that few latter day saints take very seriously and it was one of the major themes found in the writings and lectures of H. Verlan Andersen.
Not only are there apostates within our midst, but there are also apostate doctrines that are sometimes taught in our classes and from our pulpits and that appear in our publications. And these apostate precepts of men cause our people to stumble. As the Book of Mormon, speaking of our day, states: “. . . they have all gone astray save it a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men” (2 Ne. 28:14).
Elder Andersen and President Benson were both convinced that the above passage in was referring to the latter day restored church. They both referenced the scathing rebukes of God’s people in 2nd Nephi 28 and Mormon 8 as being directed at the Latter day saints.
They were both concerned that modern Mormonism had gone astray because of false doctrines and the precepts of man.
That is largely what this blog is about.
I have documented the fact that the apostasy of the latter day restored church began way back during the early Kirtland Years and was followed by additional waves of apostasy that followed in Jackson County, Far West and Nauvoo.
They resulted in the Lord rejecting the latter day saints as a church with their dead. Following that, Brigham Young led a faction of the apostate saints to Utah under the delusion that they still had all of the priesthood keys that Joseph and the first elders had been given to restore New Testament Christianity to the earth.
Nevertheless, despite the darkened state of the apostate church, God has from time to time salted the church with highly inspired men who provided the church with a leavening and a voice of warning. The saints have had the opportunity for introspection and collective repentance. In theory, a course correction could have taken place in the modern church if the leadership and membership would have collectively repented.
The Fourteen Fundamentals in Trusting in the Arm of Flesh
I am not suggesting that President Benson was perfect or that he had a perfect understanding of the depth of apostasy that the church was in. President Benson taught his own share of false doctrines. His talk on the “Fourteen Fundamentals of Following the Prophet” when he was a member of the Twelve, was a doctrinal disaster.
It was a classic primer in modern day idolatry and putting trust in the arm of flesh.
Nevertheless, the remarkable thing about both Benson and Andersen is that despite being raised in a religious cult that had been programming them for years, they had the amazing ability and humility to see God’s warning of chastisement to the modern church in scripture.
The reason I am addressing the life and ministry of H. Verlan Anderson in these blog posts is because I believe that he was a truly inspired man of God who was offering a warning voice to a people who were sinking deeper and deeper into the dark abyss of apostasy.
He had been prepared by the Lord to follow up the warning voice of President Benson to give those that had ears to hear the opportunity to dig into the sobering prophetic passages in the Book of Mormon that identify the apostasy that we find ourselves in.
Technically, the church had the opportunity to get back on course.
Elder Andersen was a Watchman on the Tower
It seems to me that H. Verlan Andersen was being a watchman on the tower who was trying to warn the latter day saints that all was not well in Zion. Yet his message was silenced by other leading authorities in the church.
I don’t meant to suggest that Elder Andersen and President Benson were the only general authorities that had concerns about the apparent latter day apostasy of the church and the false teachings and infiltration of secular learning over the years. Here is an interesting observation from Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, recorded in his personal journal that he apparently neglected to share publicly.
“I attended sessions of meetings for the institute teachers, held in the assembly room on the fourth floor of he Church Office Building.
I cannot say that I was very greatly edified. Too much philosophy of the worldly nature does not seem to mix well with the fundamentals of the gospel.
In my opinion many of our teachers employed in the church school system have absorbed too much of the paganism of the world, and have accepted too readily the views of the uninspired educators without regard for the revealed word of the Lord.
What to do about it I do not know. It is a problem for the Presidency to consider.
It is a very apparent fact that we have traveled far and wide in the past 20 years. What the future will bring I don’t know . But if we drift as far afield from the fundamental things in the next 20 years, what will be left of the foundation laid by the Prophet Joseph Smith?
It is easy for one who observes to see how the apostasy came about in the primitive church of Jesus Christ. Are we not traveling the same road?” (The Life of Joseph Fielding Smith 212. Deseret Book Co., 1972 )
As you can see, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith also had his concerns about false teachings being taught in the church.
Because of his concerns about people putting their trust in leaders of the church he made the following declaration:
“It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside.
My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them.
Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine.
“You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only in so far as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works.
“Every man who writes is responsible, not the Church, for what he writes. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be accepted.” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 3:203–4; also cited in Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine,2nd ed. [1966], p. 609.)
Wolves Among the Sheep
In my opinion, Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson are largely responsible for the current doctrinal direction and general state of the modern LDS Church. I believe they have neglected their responsibility to act as watchmen on the tower.
They are also responsible for preventing the nomination of President Benson to have H. Verlan Anderson ordained into the Quorum of the Twelve. It appears as if they were responsible for silencing his voice of warning during the last years of his life.
For this reason, I think it is important to review and scrutinize the lives and ministries of these two general authorities and to evaluate their own knowledge of the scriptures and their relationship with Jesus Christ through his Holy Word.
Deeply Searching the Scriptures
I realize that some people probably feel that I am simply being prideful, self righteous and judgmental of Hinckley, Monson, and other leaders of the church. Latter day saints have been conditioned to think that it is categorically evil to question and criticize the brethren.
I disagree.
Our salvation is at stake here.
Those men are being presented as prophets that hold the keys of salvation for our generation.
I believe we have an obligation to discern what is going on and what is being taught and what motivates our leaders.
We have a responsibility to scrutinize the words and deeds of these men, using the four standard works as our measuring yardstick, to see if they are true prophets. Frankly, when I weigh them in the balance, they are found wanting.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
I have been very critical of modern day general authorities in my blogs over the last nine years because I believe that Latter day General Authorities have led us astray.
Most General Authorities Do Not Search the Scriptures
I am also of the opinion that latter day General Authorities that deeply search the scriptures and take their seriously and literally are an anomaly.
Years ago I had occasion to enter the office of President Gordon B. Hinckley. As I gazed around the office I was struck with the fact that the Wall Street Journal was sitting on his desk but I could not see a set of scriptures anywhere.
It appears to me, based on the content of his conference talks, that the visual I had from viewing his office, pretty much tells the story with regard to how President Hinckley and most General Authorities spend and prioritize their time building up their kingdom outside of giving talks in General Conference, visiting stakes, and setting apart new Stake Presidents.
It would have been so refreshing to hear President Monson or President Hinckley give a talk of substance deeply rooted in the scriptures using quote after quote from the New Testament or Book of Mormon as they testify of Christ.
It would be wonderful to hear them truly give the warning voice about the current state of the church.
Can you remember either of them ever warning about the threat of communism and the false doctrines being taught in the church?
Have they ever given a passionate talk about the importance of redeeming Zion?
Worldly Success I Requisite
Most of the General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints have been called to their positions in the church because of worldly success and a bloodline that can be traced back to Nauvoo.
The highest quorums of the church are filled by highly educated men holding impressive degrees from the notable schools of Babylon. These quorums include world class surgeons, attorneys, high profile educators and successful business people who have all demonstrated their ability to rise to high levels in their professions.
They have demonstrated leadership skills and have excelled above their fellowmen. They have achieved the adoration of the world.
One of the most insidious practices that takes place during general conference talks is how they spend an inordinate amount of time quoting each other instead of quoting the words of Christ and his apostles from the Holy Scriptures. By so doing, they set themselves up for a light of the world.
This represents a form of priestcraft.
The following passage speaks of this phenomena-
29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.
30 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.
31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.
Another passage that identifies the pride, priestcraft and secret abominiations in the latter day church is found in Mormon 8-
35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?
39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?
40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?
In my last blog, I pointed out how Elder Andersen corresponded with Elder Benson about the above passage in Mormon 8, asking him who the gentiles were that had polluted the holy church of God and asking him to let him know when he figured it out!
Anderson’s humble and haunting petition to Benson ended with ” when you get it figured out let me know” LOL
The truly remarkable thing about Elder Anderson that set them apart from many of his brethren is that he truly loved and searched the scriptures deeply while becoming proficient in his profession.
Very few if any of the other General Authorities seem to be rooted deeply in the Holy Word of God.
I would venture to guess that precious few of the members of the two leading quorums of the church have averaged more than ten minutes of casual reading in the scriptures per day. Furthermore, in my opinion, NONE of them have ever experienced the exhilaration and revelatory download of spending 12 solid hours in a given day doing an exhaustive keyword search in the scriptures to better understand a specific topic or doctrine.
Despite getting a law degree, Elder Andersen retained a love of the truth and the constitution and warned of the evils of licensing and the corruptions in the legal system.
Secret Combinations and Secret Murders In God’s Church
I suspect that one of the things that was so offensive to Elder Monson and Elder Hinckley is that Elder Andersen had the audacity to use scripture to point out that secret combinations and secret murders have a long standing tradition of infiltrating Gods church.
As pointed out in the previous post, Andersen used scripture to verify that God’s church can be and usually is overcome with secret combinations and secret murders. It must have been very offensive to his brethren when he would opine that active members of the Mormon church were simultaneously members of the Devils organization.
“Who considers it either impossible or unlikely that a person can belong to the Devil’s organization and Christ’s Church simultaneously?
The Nephite scriptures provide some interesting information. No one who believes that the Book of Mormon is the word of God doubts that the secret combinations described therein were built up by the devil.
The record is most explicit about this fact. But notice in the days of the reign of the judges among the Nephites, that when this secret society came among them, they seduced even the more part of the righteous to join them. (Hel. 6:38)
38 And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations)
Then in that period of time immediately preceding the terrible destruction which almost obliterated the Nephite nation, the very people who formed the secret combination which was largely instrumental in killing the prophets and bringing about this awful disaster, included, almost all the lawyers and the high priests. (3 Ne. 6:25)
If the more part of the righteous and almost all the lawyers and the high priests can be deceived, how can anyone feel safe?” (Personal notes: Can one belong to the Church of the Lamb and the Church of the Devil at the same time? 1970)
The Lord warned the saints in 1829 that if they hardened their hearts, he would “deliver them over to Satan”.
The thought that secret combinations and secret murders could ever enter into God’s church is beyond the comprehension of most latter day saints, yet there is a rich history of the phenomena in scripture as pointed out by Elder Anderson. Furthermore, the modern church is not without numerous questionable circumstances relating to the deaths of the presidents of the church.
We can start with the account of Joseph Smith’s death. We know that the masonic conspiracy behind the martyrdom is well documented, but few latter day saints have considered the fact that there were masons on the inside as well as on the outside of the jail. Some day the full truth will come out about what really happened during those last hours of Joseph’s life.
I have also blogged about the suspicious circumstances behind the death of Brigham Young and the fact that he was probably poisoned.
I could name at least three other presidents of the modern church who had questionable circumstances behind their deaths.
Why Were the Saints Kicked out of Zion?
The fellow that contacted me about the post I did on H Verlan Andersen and prompted my last post, has contacted me again with some very thought provoking information.
He appears to be the gift that just keeps on giving.
He has loaned me a copy of “Teachings of H.Verlan Andersen and Shirley H. Andersen”
He also provided a quote from WW Phelps from the seven volume history of the church that simply blew my mind.
I suppose I have read it before years ago, but I did not have the necessary context to realize just how significant it is, and the fact that it provides a compelling reason to believe that one of the reasons the saints got kicked out of Zion is because of secret murders that had been committed.
Here is my response to him:
It is interesting that you quoted the following from the letter of WW Phelps written to the Saints in Zion in 1833
“I know it was right that we should be driven out of the land of Zion, that the rebellious might be sent away. But, Brethren, and, if the Lord will, I should like to know what the honest and heart shall do?… If, from what has been done in Zion, we, or the most of us, have got to be persecuted from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue, we want to know it; for there are those among us that would rather earn eternal life on such conditions than lose it; but we hope for better things and shall wait patiently for the word of the Lord. Our people fare very well, and when they are discrete, little or no persecution is felt.
Last night when Mrs Watcher was checking one of the references that Andersen provided for Benson in the letter he wrote to him, (Section 63, a revelation given to the saints in Zion 1831 ) she noticed the following warning given to the saints in Zion from the Lord. Notice the similarity to the wording to what Phelps says above
27 Wherefore, I the Lord will that you should purchase the lands, that you may have advantage of the world, that you may have claim on the world, that they may not be stirred up unto anger.
28 For Satan putteth it into their hearts to anger against you, and to the shedding of blood.
29 Wherefore, the land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase or by blood, otherwise there is none inheritance for you.
30 And if by purchase, behold you are blessed;
31 And if by blood, as you are forbidden to shed blood, lo, your enemies are upon you, and ye shall be scourged from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue, and but few shall stand to receive an inheritance.
Incredible.
It appears that the above revelation given to the saints in Zion in 1831 provides the context for why Phelps was suggesting in 1833, that the saints must be scourged from city to city and from synagogue to synagogue.
According to the above revelation, the saints would be scourged from city to city IF THEY SHED THE BLOOD OF THE ENEMY!
Apparently, some blood was secretly shed by the saints in Zion if we take a literal assessment of the dots that need to be connected.
One of the passages quoted by Andersen from the Book of Mormon notes that the more righteous part of the Nephites were “seduced” to believe in works of darkness and “secret murders”. This is consistent with those passages.
Section 101 acknowledges that the Saints were cast out of Zion because of their TRANSGRESSIONS which included jarring’s (disputes) and contentions
[.] CONTENTION, n. [L. See Contend.] [.] 1. Strife; struggle; a violent effort to obtain something, or to resist a person, claim or injury; contest; quarrel. [.] [.] Multitudes lost their lives in a tumult raised by contention among the partizans
Interestingly, in Mormon 8, a few passages before Moroni identifies the saints of the restoration as those believing gentiles who polluted the Holy Church of God, in verse 31, he saw in vision that there would be “murders and robbing and lying, and deceivings and whordoms and all manner of abominations” among those same people that believe in God. They justify their actions by saying “God will uphold such at the last day”.
During the Far West period, the secret order of the Danites was formed by several of the high priests of the Church. This secret order entered into blood oaths to avenge the latter day saints.
When the saints finally got to Nauvoo, the Lord acknowledges the abominations still being practiced among them at that time
48 For instead of blessings, ye, by your own works, bring cursings, wrath, indignation, and judgments upon your own heads, by your follies, and by all your abominations, which you practice before me, saith the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants 124:48)
Interestingly, the Lord had previously noted that there were abominations in the church-
2 Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world.
3 And also Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.
4 Behold, I, the Lord, have looked upon you, and have seen abominations in the church that profess my name.
5 But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.
6 But wo unto them that are deceivers and hypocrites, for, thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment.
7 Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed;
8 But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.
In the prophecy given by Christ in 3 Nephi 16, about the gentiles of the LDS restoration rejecting the fullness of the gospel, Christ notes that “murders” and “secret abominations” are committed among the latter day saints-
And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.
As hard as it is to believe that the believing saints of God could be seduced into secret combinations and to commit secret murders, it is actually a reoccurring pattern that shows up in scripture.
This very thing happened among Gods people during the time of the Jaredites as well as during the time of the Nephites and Lamanites. :
The following passages in Alma 37 speak about the work of darkness among God’s people anciently and how they were involved in secret murders and abominations.
22 For behold, the Lord saw that his people began to work in darkness, yea, work secret murders and abominations; therefore the Lord said, if they did not repent they should be destroyed from off the face of the earth.
Nevertheless
23 And the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness, and their wickedness and abominations.
In 3rd Nephi, Christ informs us that in the end times just before Zion is established, God will need to destroy the secret combinations and the secret murders of those that fight against Zion.
Silencing God’s Messengers
Many years ago I heard through the grapevine that Elder Andersen had been told by Elder Monson and Hinckley that there were four things he was no longer allowed to publicly speak about. I don’t remember the exact list, however, I believe the list included the topics of Communism, secret combinations and the constitution.
I have been informed that following the death of Elder Andersen, representatives of the quorum of the Twelve visited with Elder Andersens son, Hans and asked him to not publish any of his fathers remarkable books such as : (1) The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil. (2) Many are Called but Few are Chosen. (3) Moral Basis of a Free Society. (4) The Proper and Improper Role of Government. (5) Book of Mormon and the Constitution. (6) Teachings.. .
This is a travesty.
Now that I have in my possession a rare book that includes many of the personal notes of H. Verlan Andersen, I plan on sharing pertinent snippets from it in future posts that will be edifying to the readership of this blog.
Truth will prevail.
Remember, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true, even if the restored church has temporarily fled back into the wilderness of darkness.
Because I am Watching 